Gallery retires, Fiammetta leaves squad (merged)

Elijah said:

I was thinking the same thing. What kind of fullback weighs 198 pounds?

Click to expand...

Don Calhoun, for us oldsters

Mankins needs to get healthy, quick.

Advil said:

Mankins needs to get healthy, quick.

Click to expand...

I'd be happy with Waters posting on facebook saying that he'll be in Foxboro by the end of the month.

Advil said:

Mankins needs to get healthy, quick.

Click to expand...

Unless Suggs gets back early, the Patriots won't really face much of a pass rush until September 30, against the Bills.

Deus Irae said:

Click to expand...

Gallery? Gone. Fiammetta? Gone. I can't stand this any more. I gotta get out of here... Airplane- Calm Down, Get ahold of yourself! - YouTube

I'm actually glad for Gallery that he was man enough to make this decision. He could have fought through it and made the team based on the lack of depth at the guard position. Then half way through the season he would of just given up physically and Brady would have been used as tarmac.

I'm still more worried about tackle. Vollmer is the wildcard here - will be able to breathe a lot easier if he comes back soon-ish.

Surprising, but better now than in September, I'm surprised he retired but there is anecdotal evidence that he was starting to be passed by Donald Thomas, who is probably the surprise riser on the OL in this camp and the next successful graduate of Scarnnechia University

Assuming it will be another 2 weeks before Waters returns, I look for an OL of Solder, Thomas, Koppen, Connolly, and Cannon. However the writing is on the wall for Koppen, baring a big comeback, and I see McDonald passing him by the 2nd preseason game.

Ultimately by mid season the Solder, Mankins, Connolly, Waters, Volmer OL will be ready to blow the rest of the league away. This seeming dislocation only means better preparation for our depth, and it still looks good.

As for Fiammetta, just one less FB to cut. He won't be missed and will soon be forgotten.

The worst case OL scenario for opening day would still be a solid, athletic, young OL IMO:

Solder-Thomas-McDonald-Connolly-Cannon

-Mankins isn't ready
-Vollmer isn't ready
-Waters mysteriously never shows up (doubtful)
-Koppen's decline leads to McDonald overtaking him

patchick said:

Hey, it's been a while since a vet OL retired in camp! Now it really feels like the glory years.

Click to expand...

I was thinking the same thing. Is this the third or fourth time? Scarnecchia must do something to those guys we don't know about.

Tunescribe said:

I was thinking the same thing. Is this the third or fourth time? Scarnecchia must do something to those guys we don't know about.

Click to expand...

Boot camp is probably easier than spring training with Scar.

Re: Gallery retires

Elijah said:

Huh...I had a strange feeling he wouldn't play on the Patriots this year but I didn't see this coming.

Click to expand...

Neither did I, but it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy, as a throwback to the days when we had another team's vet OL retire in camp every year.

patsinthesnow said:

The worst case OL scenario for opening day would still be a solid, athletic, young OL IMO:

Solder-Thomas-McDonald-Connolly-Cannon

-Mankins isn't ready
-Vollmer isn't ready
-Waters mysteriously never shows up (doubtful)
-Koppen's decline leads to McDonald overtaking him

Click to expand...

I actually rather like that line, with Mankins and Vollmer coming back when ready to add a jolt and veteran leadership. The biggest concern would be depth. Wendell +/- Koppen on the interior line would be ok. Depth at OT would be a bit questionable.

I am not surprised by this whatsoever. I had written gallery off the minute we signed him. I have also written off koppen for about two years now. I thought it was a good thing he went on ir last year. Not that i wish injury to anyone, but it was in the teams best interest imo. I am also hoping mankins stays on pup. I personally feel that mankins is by far the most overrated player on this team. The best line would be solder, connoly, wendel, waters, volmer. With thomas, mcdonald, and cannon as the backups. My only concern is the ot position because of volmer's health and three tackles just seems a little light.

doesntmatter1 said:

I am not surprised by this whatsoever. I had written gallery off the minute we signed him. I have also written off koppen for about two years now. I thought it was a good thing he went on ir last year. Not that i wish injury to anyone, but it was in the teams best interest imo. I am also hoping mankins stays on pup. I personally feel that mankins is by far the most overrated player on this team. The best line would be solder, connoly, wendel, waters, volmer. With thomas, mcdonald, and cannon as the backups. My only concern is the ot position because of volmer's health and three tackles just seems a little light.

Click to expand...

Your thoughts are respected, despite the criticism you may receive from dissing Mankins

I wouldn't be opposed to that line, at least until LM gets back from PUP.

I believe that the OT position will be addressed very shortly, and that we'll also have some type of opportunity to pick up another teams' castoff during roster cuts for added competition too.

patsinthesnow said:

The worst case OL scenario for opening day would still be a solid, athletic, young OL IMO:

Solder-Thomas-McDonald-Connolly-Cannon

-Mankins isn't ready
-Vollmer isn't ready
-Waters mysteriously never shows up (doubtful)
-Koppen's decline leads to McDonald overtaking him

Click to expand...

The line you suggest would be frightening to think about except for the fact that Dante Scarnecchia is the line coach and Josh McDaniels is the OC.

Donald Thomas has some solid experience for a 26-year-old. What do we know about Nick MacDonald other than he's big 6-4, 305 and 25-years-old?

goheels22002 said:

The line you suggest would be frightening to think about except for the fact that Dante Scarnecchia is the line coach and Josh McDaniels is the OC.

Donald Thomas has some solid experience for a 26-year-old. What do we know about Nick MacDonald other than he's big 6-4, 305 and 25-years-old?

Click to expand...

We know that he successfully played center last year, and will likely at least be the back up this year too.

While you have very valid concerns that are warranted, McDonald has drawn many favorable reviews here.

If Connelly is going to line up at guard, than it will obviously be either Wendell or McDonald at center until Mankins returns from PUP. That will be a decision left up to our offensive line and HC, and I trust they'll make the right call.

Tackle is the 'new' worry today, goheels22002

goheels22002 said:

The line you suggest would be frightening to think about except for the fact that Dante Scarnecchia is the line coach and Josh McDaniels is the OC.

Donald Thomas has some solid experience for a 26-year-old. What do we know about Nick MacDonald other than he's big 6-4, 305 and 25-years-old?

Click to expand...

Why frightening? McDonald started 2 games at center on short notice and played capably last year, getting praise from Brady, Light and Waters, among others. Green Bay had some interest in him as their long term center before cutting him in a roster crunch, and his agent directed him towards the Pats (and kept him from signing with Seattle off of our PS) because he got enough feedback from the Pats to believe that there was a long term future for McDonald. This has been discussed in several other threads.

Thomas has been playing well this camp and had already passed Gallery for playing time, and has some prior experience. And Cannon didn't embarrass himself last year.

Add another year of experience for each, a full training camp, and Scar, and I don't think it's that scary. I wouldn't go so far as doesntmatter and suggest that we're better off without Mankins, but I wouldn't be quaking if that were our opening line. At least not until I had a chance to see how they performed.

PatsWickedPissah said:

"Martin was cut by Green Bay on March 2, 2011 and then signed with the Giants on August 13, 2012."

WTF?! We just signed a guy who in 10 days or so is gonna sign with the Jints?

I want Kraft to get the Commish to fine them a #1 pick for this chicanery :rocker:

Click to expand...

Here is the more memorable quote"was signed by Seattle as an unrestricted free agent on July 29, 2011. He was released by Seattle on March 14, 2011. ". Anywhere you can get cut before you even get signed is baaaaaad mojo.